Guides
Polished is our standard edge. Here is when a bevel, a mitre or an arrised edge makes sense instead, and why the choice is made before the glass is cut and toughened.
By the SW Glass workshop team· Published · 5 min read
For most pieces, choose a polished edge. It is the standard edge on everything we cut, and it is the one to keep wherever the edge is on show. Choose a bevel only on a mirror or a table top, where you want a wide, angled face that catches the light. A mitred edge is for one shower case, the walk-in return panel. An arrised edge only takes the sharp corner off, and it is never offered on shower or bath glass.
These are the four words you will see in our configurator. Our help page on edge finishes is the full reference; in short:
Start from the piece you are ordering. The configurator only shows the options that apply to it, so you cannot pick an edge we do not offer on that piece.
| Your piece | Standard edge | Bevel offered | Edges you can set one by one |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass shelf | Polished | No | Polished, mitred or arrised |
| Table top | Polished | Yes | Polished, mitred or arrised, if not bevelled |
| Mirror | Polished | Yes | Polished, mitred or arrised, if not bevelled |
| Shower and bath glass | Polished | No | Polished or mitred; never arrised |
A few plain rules follow from that table:
On pieces that are not bevelled, the configurator shows a section called "Edges, one by one". It lists the four edges of your piece: H1 (the left edge), Top, H2 (the right edge) and Bottom. For each one you choose Polished, Mitred or Arrised. Leave all four on Polished and you have the standard piece. Every order is then confirmed with a dimensioned drawing before anything is made.
An arrised edge is less sharp than a raw cut edge, but arrising does not make an edge safe to handle. Treat every glass edge with care, whatever the finish. An edge finish describes the edge only. It is not a safety rating for the whole piece. Whether a piece needs to be toughened or laminated safety glass is a separate question, which our glass safety checker helps with.
Shower and bath glass is never supplied arrised. We do not supply any bath or shower glass without polished edges, and it is always toughened.
No, so decide before you order. Toughened glass cannot be cut, drilled, notched or edged once it has been toughened, so any edge work is finished before the glass goes into the furnace. Mirrors are not toughened, but their polished edge or bevel is still done at the cutting stage, together with any screw holes. Our guide to toughened, laminated and annealed glass explains why toughened glass cannot be worked afterwards.
Yes, it can. In our pricing, polished and mitred edges are charged by the metre of edge, on the edges that carry them, and a bevel carries its own charge. The quick glass price calculator prices the glass only, without edges, holes or cut-outs. The configurator adds the edges you choose line by line and shows the live price for your exact piece, including VAT, before you order.
Choose your edges and see the live price in the cut-to-size configurator.
It is less sharp than a raw cut edge, but that does not make it safe to handle. Treat every glass edge with care.
Yes, on a table top. Table tops are toughened, 10 or 12 mm, and can have a bevelled edge. The bevel is ground before the glass is toughened, which is why it has to be chosen when you order.
Every shower and bath panel we make has polished edges and is toughened. There is no option to turn either off. A bevel is not offered on shower glass.
Polished, our standard. Shelves are not offered with a bevel. You can set the edges one by one, but the front edge is on show, so keep that one polished.
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Find measuring instructions and order support in Help and advice, or ask the team about your project.
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